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PART I: Schuller and The New Age
Introduction
Robert Schuller and The New Age
Robert Schuller, A Course in Miracles and Gerald Jampolsky
Robert Schuller and Napoleon Hill
Robert Schuller and W. Clement Stone:
Robert Schuller and Norman Vincent Peale
Norman Vincent Peale and Ernest Holmes
Norman Vincent Peale and Dr. Bernie Siegel
Bernie Siegel
Norman Vincent Peale and Unity Teacher Eric Butterworth
Eric Butterworth
Norman Vincent Peale and metaphysician Florence Shinn
Norman Vincent Peale and The Jesus Letters
Robert Schuller and Paul Yonngi Cho
Robert Schuller and Richard Foster
Robert Schuller and Transcendental Meditation:
Summary
Robert Schuller and Sir John Marks Templeton
Part II:
See Index
Introduction
Robert Schuller, pastor of the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, has a a grandfatherly smile that stretches from ear to ear and an appealing manner.. certainly a personality that invites trust, and since that seems to be more than enough criteria for many thousands of Christians, it is no wonder that he is ‘Christianity's’ number one TV preacher, watched by over 20 million people on hundreds of stations in more than 180 countries. It is equally unsurprising that he makes more than $50 million a year. Schuller’s Hour of Power weekly televised church service reaches …
“… an audience approaching 20 million people on all continents. It may be seen on approximately 185 stations across the United States and Canada, as well on cable and satellite channels around the world including the Discovery Channel, the Sky Channel, the Trinity Broadcast Network, and more. The Hour of Power has also been selected by the U.S. Armed Forces Radio & Television Network to be broadcast to cities and bases in over 165 countries worldwide and to all ships at sea”. [2007. About The Hour Of Power In Canada. Crystal Cathedral’s Official Web Site. Source]
Wikipedia says that the Hour Of Power In Europe
“… is broadcast on CNBC Europe, VOX in Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland and Sky One in the UK and Republic of Ireland; in the Middle East, it is carried on METV in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria; and in Australia on EXPO,Australian Christian Channel and the free to air commercial television channel, network 10. In Australia the programme is also broadcast weekly on radio.”
Additionally the American Academy of Achievement states that Robert Schuller is a best selling author
“Dr. Schuller is the author of over 30 books, six of which have found a place on the New York Times and Publishers Weekly best-seller lists”. [Source]
He also helps train ministers from around the world (now that’s a scary thought).
In 1992, Dr. Schuller fulfilled one of his lifelong dreams with the opening of the Fuqua International School of Christian Communications, funded by the generous donation of Mr. J.B. Fuqua, of Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Schuller serves as Chancellor of the school , where ministers from all over the world hone their preaching skills. [http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/sch2bio-1]
And last, but not least, not only does Robert Schuller parade an impressive line up of celebrity speakers at the Crystal Cathedral …
“Notable guests have included musician John Tesh, former USSR president Mikhail Gorbachev, former president of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, Christian singer Jaci Velasquez, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, pianist Roger Williams, Christian singer Joy Williams, Backstreet Boys member and Christian singer Brian Littrell, Christian singer Natalie Grant, actor Noah Gray-Cabey, former tennis star Michael Chang, Irish tenor Ronan Tynan, American tenor Daniel Rodriguez, musical group The Oak Ridge Boys, Christian singer Sara Groves, radio talk-show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger, MLB baseball player Kirk Gibson and actor Denzel Washington”.
…but his latest conference “Rethink” held on January 17 – 19 2008 at the Crystal Cathedral, telecast by satellite around the world by Church Communication Network (CCN) and described as a new kind of conference experience, included co-host Erwin McManus, George Barna, Chuck Colson, George Foreman, George H. Bush, Dan Kimball, John and Nancy Ortberg, Rupert Murdoch, Kathy Ireland, Lee Strobel, Ben Stein, Ben Vereen, and Kay Warren on the speaker list.
All of the above only serves to emphasize [especially considering the size of his audience and the scope of his influence], that Robert Schuller is a dangerous man.. A very dangerous man. In fact Paul could very well have had Robert Schuller in mind when he warned
"I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things (The NIV says distort the truth), to draw away the disciples after them. "Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. (Acts 29-31)
While there are plenty of reasons to not only consider Robert Schuller a heretic, but to question whether he is a Christian at all.. Apologetics Index and Way of Life said it perfectly…
“Sometimes referred to as "the evangelist without a gospel" Schuller says he believes everything in the Bible. That is not true. What he believes about the Bible is actually a redefined, twisted view of it. His repentance is not Bible repentance; his new birth is not Bible regeneration; his Hell, his Heaven, his Jesus, cross, his salvation is not that of the Bible. The man is an arch-heretic, a blasphemer. Known for his unorthodox and heretical, pseudo-Christian teachings. In Schuller's message, man, not Jesus, takes center stage. In violation of the Bible's teachings, and in a calculated departure from orthodox Christianity, Schuller is a religious pluralist. His views on this issue are considered heretical, because religious pluralism violates one of the central teachings of Christianity, namely that salvation is received only by accepting Jesus Christ.” [Excerpted from Apologetics Index and Way of Life Literature’s Evangelical And Modernist Robert Schuller].
Most of the above charges (and more) have been covered in the article below. However, in view of this very dangerous time, when evil is making deeper and deeper inroads into the so called church, Robert Schuller has, by promoting New Agers and their doctrines, done his part to lead the church further and further away from Biblical doctrine down some very dark paths,.
Robert Schuller and The New Age
Amazingly, New Age leader Neale Donald Walsch refers to Robert Schuller as an extraordinary minister on page 282 of his book The New Revelations: A Conversation with God. For that there has to be a very very good reason.
As Warren Smith rightly says In Rethinking Robert Schuller [Emphasis Added]
“From my perspective as a former New Age follower, I believe that Robert Schuller’s mission has always been to “rethink” and “change” biblical Christianity into something “new”—as in New Age/New Spirituality.
“… in his latest book, Don’t Throw Away Tomorrow: Living God’s Dream for Your Life, Schuller eagerly writes about the virtue of compromise. In this book, that bears New Age leader Gerald Jampolsky’s endorsement on the back cover, Schuller states, “We need to learn the healing quality of wise compromise.” [p. 153] He further states, “Perhaps the only way to deal with contradictions is to combine them creatively and produce something new. That’s ingenious compromise.” [p. 157] Whether Schuller knows it or not, he just presented the recipe for a New World Religion.
Some of the biggest areas of concern are
His relationship with John Marks Templeton and his promotion of Templeton’s book, Discovering The Laws of Life,
His relationship with Dr. Norman Vincent Peale..
He calls Napoleon Hill’s book Success through a Positive Mental Attitude one of the ten books that has most impacted his faith and his philosophy and
Schuller’s endorsement of A Course In Miracle and his promotion of psychiatrist Gerald Jampolsky.
The last two books mentioned are channeled works.. that is they came directly from spirit guides.. otherwise known as demons..
Robert Schuller, A Course in Miracles and Gerald Jampolsky.
A Course in Miracles has been one of the most popular ‘enlightenment’ books ever. In A Course in Miracles: Christian Glossed Hinduism For The Masses, the Christian Research Institute asks the question… What is it about A Course in Miracles that has made it so successful? Since
“In the past century a glut of spiritistic Bibles have been published to help usher in the anticipated New Age of occult enlightenment, but none have rivaled the popularity and influence achieved by the Course. It has sold 1.25 million sets and has been translated into French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Hebrew, and many other languages. 1900 study groups now exist in the United States and Europe…. In light of its sales, the number of its teachers, and its indirect influence through other mediums, a conservative estimate would be that at least five million people have been exposed to the Course teachings. Some mainline churches use it as part of their educational programs, since numerous Catholic and Protestant clergy have given it glowing endorsements. In fact, the Course specifically commends itself toward acceptance within the Christian church. Distinctively Christian terminology is used throughout”.
Additionally
“the Course is a masterpiece of spiritual strategy. It claims to be a revelation from Jesus Christ Himself, and it is intelligently organized and simply written. It appeals to personal pride and can become almost addicting emotionally”.
[Read CRI’s article A Course in Miracles: Christian Glossed Hinduism For The Masses and A Course In Miracles: A Biblical Evaluation HERE
“All in all, the Course is carefully designed for radically restructuring a persons perception against Christian faith and toward New Age occultism”. But has any of that stopped ‘Christian leader’ Robert Schuller? Sadly the answer is no! I guess there’s no reason to let a little channeling and occultism stand in the way of a successful career as a ‘possibilities’ teacher.
In the late 1980s Schuller's Crystal Cathedral church hosted workshops for A Course In Miracles, a blatantly New Age human-potential course. Only after much outcry from knowledgeable Christians did the Crystal Cathedral stop hosting the workshops. Yet over the years Schuller has continued to champion many New Age teachers and has even showcased some on his Hour of Power television program. One, psychiatrist Jerry Jampolsky, has been touted by Schuller as a "Peace Maker" as recently as 2003. In introducing Jampolsky to his congregation, Schuller claimed that Jampolsky had "found God." What he neglected to tell the people is that Jampolsky found "God" through A Course In Miracles, and that Jampolsky's book, Love is Letting Go of Fear, is completely based on the teachings of A Course In Miracles. It's not that Jampolsky's connection to A Course In Miracles was hidden. On the dedication page of his book he thanked the authors of A Course In Miracles and openly stated that his book was based on their work. [Albert James Dager. Review of Deceived on Purpose...The New Age Implications of the Purpose-Driven Church by Warren Smith. Source].
On a 2004 [10/17/04] Hour of Power program, Schuller featured guest was New Age leader and A Course in Miracles advocate Gerald Jampolsky, endorsing all of Jampolsky’s “fabulous” books, adding that Jampolsky’s latest book, Forgiveness, was available in the Crystal Cathedral bookstore. On his web site Schuller describes his relationship with Jampolsky..
“One of the many psychiatrists, with whom I have a very respected relationship, is Dr. Gerald Jampolsky. Jerry (which is the name he goes by)…” [Courage: Become A Peace Maker. Written By Robert H. Schuller. Source ]
So who is Jampolsky and what is his particular brand of spirituality??
When Schuller endorsed Jampolsky’s books even, he left one thing out.. they are all completely based on the New Age teachings of A Course in Miracles and that the foreword of Forgiveness was written by Neale Donald Walsch, who is not some obscure New Age leader, but a bestselling author highly regarded by his New Age peers. He also forgot to mention that Gerald Jampolsky also operates under the influence of a spirit guide.
“Jampolskys bestselling books, There Is a Rainbow Behind Every Cloud, Goodbye to Guilt, Out of Darkness into the Light, Love Is Letting Go of Fear, Teach Only Love, and Children as Teachers of Peace condense basic themes of the Course. His Center for Attitudinal Healing was founded in 1975 under the direction of an inner voice, which instructed him to establish a center where the principles of the Course could be taught and demonstrated... The Course content also promotes occultism and spiritistic guidance, which is another characteristic goal of demonic revelations. As an example of the psychic guidance people have been led to accept through the Course, many people have received the author of the Course (Jesus) as their personal spirit guide in other words, a demon cleverly impersonating Jesus. In his Good-Bye to Guilt Releasing Fear through Forgiveness (New York: Bantam, 1985, Pgs.62-64) Gerald Jampolsky confesses that ‘Jesus’ became his spirit guide and even possessed him in order to act and speak through him. [A Course in Miracles: Glossed Hinduism For The Masses. Christian Research Institute. Emphasis Added]
Additionally, Gerald Jampolsky has also endorsed Schuller’s book Don’t Throw Away Tomorrow: Living God’s Dream for Your Life, saying
“Don’t Throw Away Tomorrow is written with such passion, compassion and honesty that you are actually able to feel the inner linings of Robert H. Schuller’s heart. There is a spiritual energy based on faith and optimism in this book, with so many heart rending stories that will uplift the reader into a new spiritual dimension.”
“We need to learn the healing quality of wise compromise. ... Perhaps the only way to deal with contradictions is to combine them creatively and produce something new. That’s ingenious compromise.”
To repeat what has already been said.. there is a good reason that New age leaders think so highly of Robert Schuller.
Robert Schuller and Napoleon Hill:
The book Success through a Positive Mental Attitude was authored by Clement Stone and Napoleon Hill, of which Schuller says… [Emphasis Added]
“Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude is one of the ten books that has most impacted my faith and my philosophy. It is a premier book on one of the most important subjects a person can study. No person’s education is complete without the concepts you and Napoleon Hill articulated in it so wisely and so well.” [Robert H. Schuller, Page 1 and 22.. Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude by Napoleon Hill and W. Clement Stone.
The problem here is that Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude is another channeled book..
Hill claims that “..“ an emissary came across the astral plane. In a voice that “sounded like chimes of great music,” this visitor from another dimension declared: “I come from the Great School of Masters. I am one of the Council of Thirty-Three who serve the Great School and its initiates on the physical plane.” Hill was informed that he had been “under the guidance of the Great School” for years and had been chosen by them to give the formula of success, the “Supreme Secret,” to the world: that “anything the human mind can believe, the human mind can achieve.”
So one of the ten books that “most impacted” Robert Schuller’s faith and philosophy came from spirit guides.. demons.
Robert Schuller and W. Clement Stone:
Schuller also had an on-going relationship with the co-author of Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude, Clement Stone who founded Religious Heritage of America. While I do not know a great deal about RHA, I have read that it is an interfaith organization, which certainly seems true. In 1970 it presented an award called Clergyman of the Year to archbishop Archbishop Iakovos [called a “Major Ecumenical Force” by a 2005 N.Y. Times article] of the Greek Orthodox church, who spent nine years on the World Council of Churches. And In 1973, they gave Bill Bright a special award for his work with youth and In 1980 Seventh-day Adventist, George Vandeman, received the Religious Heritage of America Faith and Freedom Award for Television Religious Personality of the Year.
A June 17, 2002 article in the Chicago Sun-Times by Terry Savage, a Sun-Times Columnist mentions attending a celebration of W. Clement Stone’s 90th birthday…
“--a gathering that was attended by former President Nixon and the Rev. Robert Schuller of the Crystal Cathedral, as well as the business elite of Chicago. [Source. Emphasis Added]
In his book Move Ahead with Possibility Thinking, Schuller says
“One of the greatest American success stories surrounds the life of W. Clement Stone. In his wonderful book Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude he tell how he became a millionaire using O.P.M - Other People’s Money.”
Stone also served on the National Board of the Robert Schuller Ministries [Source] and in fact, according to Robert Schuller himself, Clement Stone was a key element behind the Crystal Cathedral. [All Emphasis Added]
“He’s probably the most positive-thinking person I ever knew,” the Rev. Robert Schuller, a 40-year friend who will speak at Stone’s funeral in Evanston on Friday, told The Times on Wednesday.
“He was also a great believer in possibilities, and was one of the first persons to believe in my dream of a Crystal Cathedral,” Schuller said. “Without his major seven-figure gift, this building would not be standing here today.” [L.A. Times. Clement Stone, 100; Self-Made Millionaire, Philanthropist. By Dennis Mclellan. September 05, 2002. Source]
“He gave one million dollars to Rev. Dr. Robert Schuller to begin construction on the now world-famous Crystal Cathedral. When the church was completed, Rev. Schuller invited Stone to be first to speak as a lay person to those attending. Stone told the congregation: “You need to read Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude. I will get each of you a copy.” Later a truck delivered over 7,000 copies of this book co-written by Napoleon Hill and W. Clement Stone. [The Last Interview with Financial Industry Legend: W. Clement Stone. The Register. Vol. 7 No. 8. August 2006. Official IARFC Publication.[International Association of Registered Financial Consultants [Source]
Lets re-cap
Q. Who was the first person to speak at the completed Crystal Cathedral… a so called Christian church?
A. Clement Stone of course..
Q. Was the first topic at this ‘church’ anything about God, Jesus Christ, man’s sin, the Gospel?
A. Nope! It was about achieving success by a positive mental attitude.
Q. Were free Bibles given to the congregation?
A. Nope! Each person received a free copy of the book.. Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude.
Robert Schuller and Norman Vincent Peale
Schuller credits close friend and mentor Norman Vincent Peale [publisher of Guidepost magazine and author of the best selling Power of Positive Thinking] with fine tuning his own positive faith and laying the  foundation for his own Possibility Thinking that was to come.
On 2/7/94, Christian News reported that during one of Robert Schuller’s broadcasts in January of ‘94, he teared up while talking about the death of Norman Vincent Peale, who had died on Christmas eve the month before. During this broadcast Schuller talked about how Peale had been his inspiration and mentor and how he had started the positive thinking movement. Schuller then said he had swallowed it: "Hook, line, and sinker."
Although the name Norman Vincent Peale is known to much of the world thanks to his best selling book The Power of Positive Thinking and the ever popular Guideposts magazine, it is unlikely that many people have really delved into Peale’s beliefs. The abbreviated version is…
Peale was a 33rd degree Mason who rejected the Christian doctrine of sin, the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ, and justification by faith alone in the merits of Christ. Although he used Christian terminology and rhetoric, in a sense his theology had little to do with Christianity, because it had little to do with sin and redemption. Although he may never have heard of the fourth-century heresy called Pelagianism, he was a thorough Pelagian -- that is, someone who believes that human nature is essentially good and that human beings are saved by developing their inner potential.
In fact Peale’s entire theology came from occult sources.. He actually “credits his theology of positive thinking to Ernest Holmes, founder of New Age/Occultic Church of Religious Science”. (Ernest Holmes, The First Religious Scientist, James Reid, p. 14).
And In an article entitled Norman Vincent Peale: Apostle Of Self-Esteem, Way of Life Literature states that
“He was powerfully influenced by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson was a Unitarian minister who fashioned a religious philosophy that attempted to synthesize pagan religions such as Hinduism, Confucianism, and Zoroastrianism, with Christianity. He held to such heresies and pagan doctrines as the fatherhood of God, the divinity of man, the unity of religions, and man is one with God and has no need of an atonement.
in “a sympathetic biography, God’s Salesman, author Carol V.R. George devotes an entire chapter to “Learning the Lessons of Liberalism.” George describes Peale’s education:
“... he was guided by his professor of English literature, William E. Smyser, to works by Emerson and the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius for a sympathetic unfolding of the power of the individual mind. ... Peale’s discovery of James and EMERSON, and to a lesser extent Marcus Aurelius, acquired in the atmosphere of romantic idealism that seemed to flourish on the Methodist campus, EVENTUALLY BECAME PART OF HIS MENTAL EQUIPMENT AND THEN A LIFETIME FASCINATION. He would soon encounter the EMERSON OF TRANSCENDENTALISM again in seminary as a shaping force in liberal theology. ...”
Way of Life Literature further demonstrates Peale’s beliefs that
“Man, allegedly, has the power within himself, or the ability to tap into a higher power within himself, to accomplish whatever he desires by learning how to visualize it into reality”.
In his 1987 book Positive Imaging, Peale said:
“Imaging consists of vividly picturing in your conscious mind, a desired goal or objective, and holding that image until it sinks into your unconscious mind, where IT RELEASES GREAT, UNTAPPED ENERGIES” (p. 7).
“There is a powerful and mysterious force in human nature that is capable of bringing about dramatic improvement in our lives. It is a kind of mental engineering... So powerful is the imaging effect on thought and performance that a long-held visualization of an objective or goal can become determinative. ...In imaging, one does not merely think about a hoped-for goal; one ‘sees’ or visualizes it with tremendous intensity, reinforced by prayer. Imaging is a kind of LASER BEAM OF THE IMAGINATION, A SHAFT OF MENTAL ENERGY in which the desired goal of outcome is pictured so vividly by the conscious mind that the unconscious mind accepts it and is activated by it. THIS RELEASES POWERFUL INTERNAL FORCES that can bring about astonishing changes...” (pp. 9, 10). [Norman Vincent Peale: Apostle Of Self-Esteem, David Cloud]
Sound familiar? Also See articles on New Thought and Visualization. Peale also said
The world you live in is mental and not physical. Change your thought and you change everything. [Charles S. Braden. Spirits in Rebellion: The Rise and Development of New Thought, p. 387]
Your unconscious mind [has a] power that turns wishes into realities when the wishes are strong enough. [Norman Vincent Peale, Positive Imaging (Fawcett Crest, 1982), p. 77]
Who is God? Some theological being...? God is energy. As you breathe God in, as you visualize His energy, you will be reenergized! [Norman Vincent Peale, Plus: The Magazine of Positive Thinking, Vol. 37, no. 4 (Part II), May 1986, p. 23].
Norman Vincent Peale and Ernest Holmes
Further confessing his indebtedness to Science of Mind founder Ernest Holmes, he wrote on the back cover of Ernest Holmes: His Life and Times:
"Only those who knew me as a boy can fully appreciate what Ernest Holmes did for me. Why, he made me a positive thinker."
Also saying on the Back Cover of Science of Mind, sometimes known as one of the greatest New Thought books ever written
”I believe God was in this man, Ernest Holmes. He was in tune with the Infinite.”
Holmes, by the way, took his inspirations and information from a variety of sources including Quimby, Darwin, Emerson, Freud, and Mary Baker Eddy, but, according to his brother… when he read the essay Self Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson a spark leaped into flames.
[See The Roots of Evil which charts the roots of many of the beliefs prevalent today ]
Norman Vincent Peale and Dr. Bernie Siegel
In Dr. Bernie Siegel's book, Love, Medicine, and Miracles, Peale writes, "In these pages is found a precious secret, that of health and well being" (inside cover).
[In the book Siegel describes how he got his message and insights through guided meditation and an inner spirit guide (p. 18-20). Siegel also promotes meditation, hypnosis, and guided visualization with eastern/Occultic presuppositions based on "cosmic-at-oneness and enlightenment," Yoga and Kundalini, and Silva Mind Control (pgs. 147-152). Siegel also teaches that through continuous "spiritual consciousness" death no longer exists and that he has "received many messages from those who have died," (p. 220). Siegel concludes with instructions on how to meditate and visualize cosmic-at-oneness energy healing you. He also lists a whole spate of New Age writers and books for suggested reading (pp. 227-239).
Apparently this is a mutual admiration society with Bernie Siegel endorsing Robert Schuller’s 1995 book Prayer: My Soul’s Adventure With God. On the opening page he says …
"This is a beautiful book of value to all people…. Robert Schuller’s newest book reaches beyond religion and information to what we all need—spirituality, inspiration, and understanding. Read it and live a life with meaning.". So who is Bernie Siegel?
Bernie Siegel
Excerpt from Deceived on Purpose.. The New Age Implications of the Purpose-Driven Church. Chapter 5 - Enter Robert Schuller. by Warren Smith
“In June of 1978, a Connecticut physician named Bernie Siegel attended a workshop that would completely change his life, including the way he practiced medicine. As a result of a spiritual experience in this workshop—a guided visualization— he would eventually become a bestselling author and New Age leader. In his book Love, Medicine & Miracles, he describes this guided visualization:
"In June 1978, my practice of medicine changed as a result of an unexpected experience I had at a teaching seminar. Oncologist O. Carl Simonton and psychologist Stephanie Matthews (then his wife) gave a workshop—Psychological Factors, Stress, and Cancer—at the Elmcrest Institute in Portland, Connecticut…." [Bernie Siegel. Love, Medicine & Miracles. p. 18].
"The Simontons taught us how to meditate. At one point they led us in a directed meditation to find and meet an inner guide. I approached this exercise with all the skepticism one expects from a mechanistic doctor. Still, I sat down, closed my eyes, and followed directions. I didn’t believe it would work, but if it did I expected to see Jesus or Moses. Who else would dare appear inside a surgeon’s head? Instead I met George, a bearded, long-haired young man wearing an immaculate flowing white gown and a skullcap. It was an incredible awakening for me, because I hadn’t expected anything to happen….
"George was spontaneous, aware of my feelings, and an excellent adviser. He gave me honest answers, some of which I didn’t like at first….
"All I know is that he has been my invaluable companion ever since his first appearance. My life is much easier now, because he does the hard work. [Bernie Siegel. Love, Medicine & Miracles. p. 19-20].
Since that initial spiritual encounter, Siegel has become a leading New Age author and spokesperson. Providing “hope” by fusing modern day medicine with New Age teachings and practices, Siegel has introduced New Age concepts into the professional medical community and to cancer patients everywhere.
In Friendship with God, Neale Donald Walsch writes that Bernie Siegel was the “first celebrity endorsement” he received for his first book Conversations with God: Book 1. Walsch said that “it helped book buyers, who might have been skittish about a previously unpublished author, see the value of what I had produced.” [Walsch, Friendship with God, p. 335–336]
Today, Siegel continues to influence countless numbers of people in his role as a New Age leader. In his books and workshops he encourages people to do guided meditations and visualizations—just as he once did—to initiate contact with their own personal spirit guides. Siegel openly endorses the teachings of A Course in Miracles, and currently serves on the Board of Advisors of Jerry Jampolsky’s A Course in Miracles-based Attitudinal Healing Center in Northern California.
Norman Vincent Peale and Unity Teacher Eric Butterworth
Butterworth is one of the chief leaders and writers for Unity School of Christianity. Butterworth, in his writings, clearly teaches New Age/Occultic world views. Of Eric Butterworth’s book Discover The Power Within You, Peale wrote
And of Butterworth’s book Life is for Loving Peale said
"Thought-motivating and spiritually rewarding,"
Eric Butterworth (1916-2003)
Popular "Unity" Minister, Butterworth began training for the ministry at Unity Village in Missouri during World War II and after the war, graduated from Unity Ministerial School. Butterworth was author of 16 best-selling books on metaphysical spirituality, including the bestseller Discover the Power Within You, written in 1968 and considered a classic in the New Thought Spiritual Movement.
“Eric Butterworth was among the leading spokespersons in modern times on "practical mysticism."… a gifted theologian, philosopher, and lecturer, and for over 50 years a teacher of "practical Christianity," helping thousands of people to help themselves to a more abundant life by the study and application of Truth. He possessed a unique ability to render the most complex metaphysical teachings in simple sound bytes of awareness. He mastered the art of the brief "essayette," of which he has written thousands..” [Source]
Eric Butterworth was Senior Minister of The Unity Center of New York City from 1961 to 2003… Eric was considered a legend and spiritual icon in the Unity Movement… [he] has often been referred to as a "Twentieth Century Emerson." His teaching was focused on the Divinity of all people, and his desire was that everyone would know their Oneness with God… a pioneer radio broadcaster, he began his daily messages, which at times went around the world, with the words: "You can change your life by altering your thoughts."… Oprah Winfrey says of his classic book, Discover the Power Within You, “This book changed my perspective on life and religion.” And, it is a favorite in her personal library. [Source]
Norman Vincent Peale and Metaphysician Florence Shinn
Peale endorsed The Game of Life by metaphysician Florence Shinn, saying, "The Game of Life is filled with wisdom and creative insights. That its teachings will work I know to be a fact, for I've long used them myself."
What are these teachings? "Jesus Christ knew in reality, there is no evil There is an old legend that Adam and Eve ate of `Maya the Tree of Illusion' Therefore evil is a false law man has made for himself... has been hypnotized by the race belief (of sin, sickness, and death) which is carnal or mortal thought," (p. 30.)
" Jesus Christ brought the good news (the gospel) that there was a higher law than the law of Karma. The world thought is that of sin, sickness and death. He saw their absolute unreality. We know now from a scientific standpoint, that death could be overcome by stamping the subconscious mind with the conviction of eternal youth and eternal life. Working under the direction of the superconscious, (the Christ or God within man) the `resurrection of the body' would be accomplished," (pp. 46-47).
On Page 83 the author teaches the law of reincarnation. [Source]
Norman Vincent Peale and The Jesus Letters by Jane Palzere and Anna Brown
Peale endorses the book The Jesus Letters by Jane Palzere and Anna Brown. He writes "What a wonderful gift to all of us from you is your book. You will bless many by this truly inspired book," (emphasis mine).
According to the advertisement, "a book communicated through a process known as inspirational writing (automatic writing). Self identified as Jesus." Some quotes are given from the book, “God does not see evil. He sees only souls at different levels of awareness. It matters little if these writings come from the Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus of Jane, they are all the same consciousness and that consciousness is God. I am part of God, and Jane and Anna are part of that same God.” [Source]
Robert Schuller and Paul Yonngi Cho has long been a promoter of visualization along with prayer so it is not surprising to see Schuller write the foreword to Yonggi Cho's book, The Fourth Dimension. He writes "I discovered the reality of that dynamic dimension in prayer that comes through visualizing..... Don't try to understand it. Just start to enjoy it! It's true. It works. I tried it" (The Fourth Dimension, Foreword).
Robert Schuller and Richard Foster: In an article entitled Living the Lord's Prayer, William Gaultiere, Ph.D, (Executive Director of the New Hope Crisis Counseling Center at the Crystal Cathedral and a Clinical Psychologist and Spiritual Director with ChristianSoulCare.com.) says he loves
“the way Richard Foster describes the heart of prayer in his book, Prayer. He gives us a beautiful picture”. He quoted Foster several times in the article, Dallas Willard once, and also says that one of his “favorite books is a little book called Practicing the Presence of God, which was written by Brother Lawrence four centuries ago”. [http://www.newhopenow.com/notes/archive/lords_prayer.html]
See Richard Foster and Renovare
Robert Schuller and Transcendental Meditation: The most effective mantras employ the "M" sound. You can get the feel of it by repeating the words, "I am, I am," many times over.... Transcendental Meditation or TM... is not a religion nor is it necessarily anti-Christian. ["Peace of Mind Through Possibility Thinking," pp. 131-32]
See Transcendental Meditation or TM
Summary
In his booklet, The Power of the Inner Eye, Robert Schuller gives us a resounding example how he drew on and learned from the teachings of his mentors and friends, Napoleon Hill, Clement Stone and Norman Vincent Peale…
“In the May, 1985, issue of Psychology Today…. "In the Mind's Eye." [It] deals with . . . visualization .... This is the vision that the Bible is talking about in the verse, "Where there is no vision the people perish.". . . I have practiced and harnessed the power of the inner eye and it works .... Thirty years ago we started with a vision of a church. It's all come true” (p.181 of Occult Invasion by Dave Hunt quoted in NEW AGE Pathways in the church. Let Us Reason Ministries. emphasis added].
Robert Schuller and Sir John Marks Templeton
John Marks Templeton is founder of The Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion. Templeton's beliefs are clearly expressed in his writings. He is an evolutionist, pantheist, universalist, and occultist and in no unequivocal terms rejects the God of the Bible, Christ as the only Savior and only way to God. He claims that heaven and hell are states of mind we create here on earth, that truth is relative, and that Christianity is no longer relevant. He states “behind this book is my belief that the basic principles for leading a "sublime life"... may be derived from any religious tradition Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and others as well as Christian....” (John Marks Templeton, Discovering the Laws of Life, 1994 inside front of jacket.)
In 1986 John Marks Templeton and his New Age views were first introduced to the church by Robert Schuller. In that year Schuller’s Possibilities Magazine front cover prominently featured Templeton's picture. In it he wrote, “The Christ spirit dwells in every human being whether the person knows it or not…” (Possibilities, pp. 8-12, Summer 1986).
Christianity Today’s April 24, 1994 issue introduced Templeton’s book, Discovering The Laws of Life to a Christian audience. The advertisement, was headlined “Will inspire Millions of Readers” and was assigned the entire back cover. It contained the endorsements of Norman Vincent Peale (who also wrote the foreword), Robert Schuller, Billy Graham, and two prominent Catholic New Age leaders, Theodore M. Hesburgh (former president of Notre Dame University) arid J. Peter Grace (head of the Knights of Malta). [A.P. Geelhoed . Who is Templeton?].
Also See Rick Warren and The Templeton Foundation and More on Templeton
Additional Information on Robert Schuller
In 1987 a survey was conducted by the National Association of Christian Psychotherapists and Counselors as to which television ministry is “the most effective in applying biblical principles to people's problems.” Robert Schuller's Hour of Power came out on top. James Dobson, president of the organization, commented: “He's not dogmatic. His message is clear and deals mainly with cognitive reconditioning. Yet he uses the Bible as his source. He comes across more as a therapist then a minister, yet his message is still very Christian in nature.” Dobson has used Schuller's endorsements in his ads (Calvary Contender, August 15, 1987).
Let’s see how “Very Christian in Nature”, Schuller’s beliefs are.. Please Note: Each coloured link within the article will lead you to a related topic on a different page of this site. However, while the text is part of the original article, the links are not. The author of this article may or may not agree with the views expressed on those pages, or anything else on this site..
Background
Influence
Schuller and Self Esteem
Schuller Behind The Iron Curtain
Schuller and the New Age
Schuller and Unity
Schuller and Catholicism
Schuller and Muslims
Schuller and the Institute for Successful Church Leadership
Schuller and Larry King
Schuller and The Promise Keepers
Robert Schuller and Salvation
Robert Schuller and Meditation
Robert Schuller and the National Association of Evangelicals
Robert Schuller and Christianity Today
Robert Schuller and Evangelical Leaders
Rethinking Robert Schuller
Rethink Conference
The level of ‘Christianity’ at these conferences is so low that one would have to search under the tables to a few odd specks…
Rethinking Revised
Speakers at The Rethink Conference held at Robert Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral, January 17-19, 2008 insisted that Christianity must be re-thought and re-invented if the name of Jesus Christ is going to survive here on planet earth now that we are in the twenty-first century.
Robert Schuller..
Biblical Discernment Ministries - Revised 1/99.
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[Background] Born in 1926 to an Iowan family of Dutch descent, Robert Schuller was reared in the Reformed Church in America. He entered the pastorate in 1951 at Hope Church in Chicago, which over the next four years grew from 38 to 400 members. In 1955, his denomination sent him to Orange County, California to establish a new church there. After trying unsuccessfully to rent numerous facilities, Schuller finally rented the Orange County Drive-In Theater for Sunday mornings. Schuller went from door to door inviting people to come to his church, and asking them what type of church they would like to attend. He began to see his church as a mission, a place where non-Christians would feel comfortable enough to come in and then later "accept Jesus." How would he do this? By preaching only positive things! Schuller credits close friend Norman Vincent Peale "with fine tuning his own positive faith and laying the foundation for his own Possibility Thinking that was to come."
[Influence] In September of 1959, ground-breaking ceremonies were held at the location of the present church property in Garden Grove, California. The Crystal Cathedral was completed in 1980, from which Schuller now tapes his weekly service and later broadcasts on his weekly "Hour of Power" television show (begun in 1970). This cathedral is a vast golden edifice with 10,000 windows, huge video screens, and a 10-foot tall angel hovering from the roof on a rope of gold. He has built up a congregation of over 9,500 members in a church that cost over $20 million.
The "Tower of Power" television ministry makes more than $50 million a year and is beamed to about 20 million viewers in more than 180 countries. Schuller claims to receive between thirty and forty thousand letters a week and has a mailing list of over one million people. He has authored more than 25 books, several of them national best sellers. (Source: "A Profile of Robert Schuller," by J.P. Gudel, Forward, Spring 1985.)
[Schuller and Self Esteem] Schuller's false teaching is an extremely serious matter in light of his wide influence. His is the most popular religion television broadcast in America. His books sell by the millions. He appears with presidents. His "self-esteem Christianity" has been adopted by multitudes. These believe they are Christians and attend churches; but in reality, they worship a false christ and follow a false gospel. Robert Schuller and his mentor, the late Norman Vincent Peale, are two of the key culprits in promoting this error.
See Article on Self Esteem
Schuller reinterprets the doctrines of the Word of God to conform with his self-esteem philosophy. His Christ is a Jesus who provides men with self-esteem. Schuller's gospel is the replacement of negative self concepts with positive ones. To Schuller, sin is merely the lack of self-esteem. To Schuller, the greatest evil is to call men sinners in a Biblical fashion and thereby injure their self-esteem. Schuller is a universalist who believes that all people are the children of God. His goal is to help each person understand and enjoy this "fact." Bottom line, Schuller's message is that there is no need for one to recognize his own personal sin, no need for repentance, and no need for the crucifixion of self. In fact, concerning the latter point, Schuller teaches just the opposite philosophy -- that self is to be exalted -- which is nothing less than an outright denial of the Gospel of Jesus Christ:
(a) Personal Sin?: "What do I mean by sin? Answer: Any human condition or act that robs God of glory by stripping one of his children of their right to divine dignity. I could offer another complementing answer: Sin is that deep lack of trust that separates me from God and leaves me with a sense of shame and unworthiness. I can offer still another answer: Sin is any act or thought that robs myself or another human being of his or her self-esteem" (Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, p. 14). In a 10/5/84 letter to Christianity Today, Schuller wrote, "I don't think anything has been done in the name of Christ and under the banner of Christianity that has proven more destructive to human personality and hence counterproductive to the evangelism enterprise than the often crude, uncouth, and unchristian strategy of attempting to make people aware of their lost and sinful condition" (cf. Romans 1:18-3:20).
(b) Repentance?: In response to a question from Paul Crouch on Crouch's TBN 12/8/87 television show, concerning critic's claims that Schuller doesn't preach repentance, Schuller responded, "I preach repentance so positively, most people don't recognize it" (cf. Ezekiel 18:30-32).
(c) Denial of Self?: One of Schuller's books, Self-Love: The Dynamic Force of Success, took Eric Fromm's humanistic self-love teachings and brought them into the church. In Self-Esteem: The New Reformation (Word Books, 1982), Schuller teaches that: (1) the church's problem is that it has had a God-centered theology for centuries, when it needs a man-centered one; (2) we're not bad, merely badly informed about how good we are; (3) it would be an insult to the integrity of any human being to call him a sinner; and (4) "Jesus knew His worth; His success fed His self-esteem. He suffered the cross to sanctify His self-esteem and He bore the cross to sanctify your self-esteem. The cross will sanctify the ego trip" (p. 115) (cf. Matt. 16:24). (See attached reports for more analysis and quotes from Self-Esteem: The New Reformation) [Schuller further amplified this latter thought on the 8/12/80 Phil Donahue Show; Schuller said, "Jesus had an ego. He said, 'I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me.' Wow, what an ego trip He was on!"]
The following are highlights from an 11/92 radio interview with Robert Schuller; it provides a good snapshot summary of Schuller's perverted gospel of self:
QUESTIONER: Dr. Schuller, did you write "The unsaved person cannot perceive himself as worthy of divine grace and hence rejects it."?
SCHULLER: I may have said that because I am inclined to believe very definitely that the person who is lost and unsaved is afraid of the light. The person who is only used to darkness is afraid of the light and I think unsaved people do not consider themselves worthy enough; I think that's absolutely true, "While we were yet sinners Christ died for us."
QUESTIONER: But not while we were "worthy" Christ died for us?
SCHULLER: Listen, if Christ had died for somebody who wasn't worth anything that would have been a lousy deal. God is a good steward and he teaches us to be good stewards. God knows the worst sinner is worth saving so that he would die on a cross for us.
QUESTIONER: But if we are worth it, then it is not grace, it's merit.
SCHULLER: No, no. It means that we are still creatures of God, we are still sons of God. We have value. We still have value.
QUESTIONER: Would you be willing to address your congregation as a group as sinners?
SCHULLER: No I don't think I need to do that. ... My only concern is: I don't want to drive them farther away than they are! ... I do let people know how great their sins and miseries are. How do I do that? I don't do that by standing in a pulpit and telling them they're sinners. ... The way I do it is ask questions. Are you happy? Do you have problems, what are they? So then I come across as somebody who cares about them ... So the way I preach sin is by calling to attention what it does to them here and now, and their need for divine grace! ... I believe in heaven. I believe in hell. But I don't know what happens there. I don't take it literally that it's a fire that never stops burning.
QUESTIONER: As Jesus said it was?
SCHULLER: Jesus was not literal.
QUESTIONER: Justified from what? The wrath of God?
SCHULLER: Oh! I'll never use that language.
QUESTIONER: But the Bible does.
SCHULLER: Yes, the Bible does, but the Bible is ... a contradiction: Old Testament -- Law, New Testament -- Grace. Jesus is a contradiction; totally human and totally God.
QUESTIONER: Of course we would say that the dual nature of Christ is a "mystery" but not a contradiction.
SCHULLER: It is a contradiction, but you know what? Contradictions are ultimate points of creativity...
QUESTIONER: How could the cross, as you write, "sanctify the ego trip," and make us proud, in the light of passages that say, "I hate pride and arrogance (Prov. 8:13), "Pride goes before destruction" (Prov. 16:18),"The Lord detests all the proud" (Prov. 16:5), "Do not be proud" (Rom. 12:16), "Love does not boast, it is not proud" (1 Cor. 13:4). In fact Paul warns Timothy that in the last days men "will be lovers of themselves" (2 Tim. 3:2). ... Why should we do anything to encourage people to become "lovers of themselves" if Paul in fact warned others that that would be the state of godlessness in the last days?
SCHULLER: I hope you don't [preach this] because you could do a lot of damage to a lot of beautiful people. ... if you preach that text, oh man, I sure hope you give it the kind of interpretation that I do or, I'll tell you, you'll drive them farther away and they'll be madder than hell at you and they'll turn the Bible off, and they'll switch you off, and they'll turn on the rock music and Madonna. Just because it's in the Bible doesn't mean you should preach it. ... it is so difficult to preach some of those texts and not come across as lacking humility ...
QUESTIONER: Dr. Schuller, what do we tell someone who says, "I'm already happy and fulfilled, so why do I need the gospel?"
SCHULLER: I don't know ... I can't relate to that.
QUESTIONER: Ought we to pray, "Our father in heaven, honorable is our name"?
SCHULLER: (Silence)
QUESTIONER: That's a legitimate question?
SCHULLER: It may be a legitimate question but I think it's kind of a dumb question because I don't teach that. Ask someone who teaches it.
QUESTIONER: Well you wrote it on page 69 of Self-Esteem: The New Reformation.
SCHULLER: You know what, I'm tired now. You're laying so many heavy trips on me, and I wasn't prepared for this.
Since Schuller will not preach from the pulpit the gospel of repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ, nor teach from the Bible, what then is the message he propagates? Los Angeles Times staff writer Bella Stumbo, after an extended interview with Schuller, wrote: "In short, Robert Schuller believes that God placed him on this Earth to preach possibility thinking" ("The Gospel of Success," 5/29/83, Los Angeles Times, p. 24). To underscore just how "vitally important" this message is, Schuller once wrote: "I believe in positive thinking. It is almost as important as the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (Michael Nason and Donna Nason, Robert Schuller: The Inside Story, 1983, p. 152).
Schuller's "possibility thinking" replaces truth. It doesn't matter what or whom one believes, but only that one be positive. He argues that Biblical doctrine may have communicated to people in the past, but to our generation it seems so "negative" and offensive that it turns people off. So what is needed now is a "positive" gospel that everyone can accept. In an article in The Orange County Register, Schuller berated preachers "who spew forth their angry, hate-filled sermons of fire and brimstone." Explaining that the way to "tell the good religion from the bad religion" is whether it is "positive," Schuller exhorted "religious leaders ... whatever their theology ... to articulate their faith in positive terms." He then called for a "massive, united effort by leaders of all religions" to proclaim "the positive power ... of world-community-building religious values." (Emphases added.)
For Schuller, then, "faith" is a power of the mind and "God" is merely a placebo that helps one "believe" and thereby activate mind power. For example, on an Amway tape, Schuller exults, "You don't know the power you have within you! ... You make the world into anything you choose." It is Babel again, only in a more sophisticated form. The power of thinking becomes the magic stairway that leads to the paradise where all one's wishes can be fulfilled -- nothing but an "evangelical" form of Christian Science or Science of Mind! (6/93, The Berean Call).
For one who doesn't use the Bible much, it shouldn't surprise us when we hear how Schuller has distorted it, usually in order to justify his theological positions. For instance, what does Schuller say Jesus really meant when He taught His disciples to pray for their "daily bread" (Matt. 6:11)?
"'Give us our daily bread.' What does the word bread mean? Bread refers to life's basic needs. God doesn't promise that we will have the crust. ... What is the crust that God offers? We call it possibility thinking. 'Give us this day our daily bread.' God will give us what we need. And what is that? It is creative, inspiring, possibility-pregnant ideas" (Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, pp. 80,82).
Schuller is guilty of even more blatant distortion when he equates the "rivers of living water" that Jesus referred to in John 7:38 with self-esteem:
"And I can feel the self-esteem rising all around me and within me, 'Rivers of living water shall flow from the inmost being of anyone who believes in me' (John 7:38, TLB). I'll really feel good about myself" (Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, p. 80).
The prime focus of Schuller's ministry continues today to be the self-esteem of the individual. This was reflected in most of his earlier books, but was never specifically formulated until 1982, when he wrote SELF-ESTEEM: THE NEW REFORMATION. Schuller believes that virtually every problem a person has, every ill that plagues society, all sin and evil in the world, is a result of people having low self-esteem. Therefore, our greatest need is to have our self-esteem increased:
"Self-esteem then, or 'pride in being a human being,' is the single greatest need facing the human race today. ... I strongly suggest that self-love is the ultimate will of man -- that what you really want more than anything else in the | 
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